Bag. You “bag” your groceries.
My family uses “dumb as a box of rocks” quite a bit. But I think that “not the sharpest knife in the drawer” is more common.
I’ve sometimes heard “turn to” (which means “let’s get going”) but I’ve always found it a strange expression.
We’ve used one fry short of a Happy Meal or one sandwich short of a picnic before in a similar vein of dumb as a box of rocks.
I heard red-headed stepchild when I moved to the midwest. The un-favored person or group, as opposed to the golden-haired boy. Then one of my bosses remarried and gained a red-headed step child. Awkward.
The state-required metal sign with numbers on the front and back of your car is a tag. A plate is what you serve food on.
I grew up in the south, and never heard “Bless your heart” used snarkily, but my mother is possibly the most gracious and least snarky person on the planet. Come to think of it, I really didn’t know many snarky people there at all, which is probably the difference. Not that snarky southerners don’t exist, but I didn’t know them. The midwestern equivalent I have heard is “God love him.”
Working at McDonald’s in the south, I knew to ask “What kind of coke?” when a customer ordered a coke. Could be orange, or Sprite. If they wanted Coke, they would have asked for Co-cola.
I used the phrase “my struggle is real” in front of DD, thought she might hide under the table. But that’s how I roll.
Tonic is one of those words that I hear from friends who were born and raised in one of the New England states.
On the pop vs soda in the midwest–maybe it is a class thing. I grew up in a working class (immigrant) family, could be more affluent midwesterners use soda.
Thought this was an interesting website. Might not be a scientific survey, but interesting.
My grandmother was from Ohio. She used the term “soda pop.” Never “soda,” never “pop,” always “soda pop.” She moved to California in the 1950s, long before I was born, so I’m not sure where or when she picked that up.
Any older people in your family say icebox instead of refrigerator?
My dad did, but he was born in 1942, and thus grew up with refrigerators. I think he just liked the term. (He was born in LA).
Hmm, I’ve lived in Texas since I was 6 years old. I hear “y’all” constantly, whether from an uneducated person or a Ph.D. I don’t recall hearing anyone say “all y’all.”
I’m the one who brought up “all y’all” for plural and “y’all” sometimes used in the singular. The usage may well be idiosyncratic to my friends. I just noticed this particular couple using those terms that way.
I wasn’t intending to imply that this was a universal usage among all Texans.
Once an acquaintacne and I met a woman who just looked “hard.” Like she had been a chain smoker all her life, looked older than her real age, and like she’d lived a hard life. The acquaintance said “Now that’s a woman that’s been rode hard and put up wet!” I turned and said “WHAT?!?!?!” He said, “you know, like a horse that’s been put in the stable without being bathed and groomed after a long ride. You’ve NEVER heard that phrase?” I said “absolutely not. But I did grow up in the burbs and have never ridden a horse.”
I’ve never heard anyone else use that phrase since.
A sailboat that looks worn and unkempt is also said to be rode (or raced) hard and put away wet.
“Not the brightest bulb in the marquee.” “Not the sharpest tool in the shed.”
“You can’t get there from here” is said frequently in Maine.
fuggedaboutit - no explanation neccessary
My dad has said “rode hard and put away wet” all my life. He grew up in rural Texas in the 30’s, when not knowing how to care for your animals was considered one of the seven deadly sins.
My family has used the word schnookered, and the phrases “That’s a fine how do you do” and “ridden hard and put away wet.” My mother always carried a pocketbook too. And my dad always called old men “old jiggers”.
I grew up in the NE and always heard “ridden hard and put away wet.” I would have thought that a universal saying. Isn’t it from some movie?
To me, ridden hard and put away wet isn’t really about “she’s had a tough life” - it’s more “she’s kind of sleazy and skanky; she’s been around the block a few times.” Kim Basinger comes to mind for me.
Never heard of “ridden hard and put away wet”… (Californian most of my life)